Trans-Boundary Cooperation in Sustainable Tourism and Destination Management

Trans-boundary cooperation in sustainable tourism and destination management

Examples of German-Polish co-operation projects

Alexander Schuler,

UN, New York, 30 October 2013

TOURISM & REGIONAL CONSULTING

Berlin ▪ Hannover ▪ Eisenach

Agenda

The following issues are central to my presentation:

 Two Best Practices

. Muskau Arch Geopark

. Fürst Pückler Park Bad Muskau

 Sustainable tourism and quality  Future considerations

2

UN expert group meeting on sustainable tourism

www.bte-tourismus.de

Best Practice 1: Muskau Arch Geopark

Project 1: Geopark Muskauer Faltenborgen

3

The evolution of the Muskau Arch

Was ist zu tun ... ... Nach innen:

 The arch was formed some 450.000

years ago during a glacial period

named after the nearby river ‚Elster‘.

 Strategie und Umsetzung

 Geologists call this formation a push



moraine.

 Both, world heritage and
 Especially noticeable are the brown

coalbeds that were elevated greatly and hence made easy to access.

Therefore, the coal industry settled at

this location. geopark are
 As a consequence, other industries followed, such as brick and glass manufacturers. They made use of the clay and sand layers that lay on top of the brown coal and had to be carried off anyways.

4

Location of the

Muskau Arch Geopark

The Muskau Arch has the form of

a horse shoe and stretches from Döbern in the south of the state of Brandenburg to Weißwasser and Bad Muskau in the state of

Saxony all the way to Trzebiel in

the region of Lebuser Land (Poland).

5

Project development and goals

Development of the Muskau Arch Geopark

 First ideas of the Muskau Arch date back to the year 1994.  The eventual geopark concept was created from 1998 to
2000.

 The Muskau Arch was one of 30 projects of the
International Building Exhibition (IBA) 2000-2010.

 The goal of the IBA projects was to support German-Polish cooperation. This was accomplished by making the hidden, forgotten and buried history of the cultural landscape a tangible experience.

 After a start-up phase, the geopark was evaluated as

national German geopark in 2006 and as national Polish

geopark in 2011.
 Since 2011, the geopark is member of the European
Geopark Network

 Since 2012, the geopark is member of Global Geoparks

Network assisted by UNESCO

6

Sustainable tourism and quality

Muskau Arch Geopark / Łuk Mużakowa

Transnational park, German-Polish character: the UNESCO Muskau Arch Geopark

 Economic viability: Valorisation of the natural and

cultural heritage for the purpose of tourism

 Local prosperity: Increase in visitor arrivals supports the creation of value and the income of the local community

 Local control: Linkage of communal, commercial and touristic structures beyond national borders

 Cultural richness: Conservation of regional (coal

mining) history and craftsmanship

 Physical integrity: Conservation of the inanimate nature

of the geopark

 Biological diversity: Environmental education, e.g.

nature trails, exhibitions, educative material

 Community wellbeing: German/Polish school projects,

cross-border voluntary work

7

Best Practice 2: Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad Muskau

8

9

Location of the Fürst-Pückler-Park

Bad Muskau

The Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad

Muskau is located adjacent to the Muskau Arch Geopark.

The formation of the park is

equally influenced by the geographical particularities of the area.

10

How it all began

 Between 1815 and 1845 Prince Hermann Pückler created a famous landscape park on both sides of the river Lusatian Neisse

 Aftermath of WWII: River Neisse was border

between GDR and the Republic of Poland  Division of the park

Prince Herrmann

. Polish side: Construction of factories

von Pückler-Muskau

. Park was partially used for agricultural purposes and partially grew exuberantly

. New Castle on German side burnt down

 Since German Reunification:

. 1992: German part was property of The Free State of
Saxony  Establishment of state-owned foundation

. Proposal by the previous director of the Polish side:
Application with UNESCO

. Park was continuously restored . The thought of reunifying a divided park unified the

Drinking fountain with wooden pavilion in the so-called Bath Park in Bad Muskau.

people in both countries

Detail from a lithograph from Gustav Täubert, 1867

. Since 1998: German-Polish youth work

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Project process

The Muskau Park Prince Hermann Pückler

 International Building Exibition (IBA) 2000-2010;

Goal: To revive the park on German and Polish side

as an example and complete work of gardening art
 2002: Application with UNESCO was handed in by both countries

 2004: The Pückler Park was inscribed in the

UNESCO World Heritage list
 Since 2004: Symbolic reconstruction of double bridge

 2007: Abolition of border controls.

 2008: Permanent exhibition in the New Castle (for the first time since 50 years)

 2012: Restoration of the New Castle was terminated

12

Managament structure, facts and figures

 Management:

. German side: Foundation ‚Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad Muskau‘

owned by The Free State of Saxony
. Polish side: Branch office of the National Heritage Board of
Poland

 Funding:

. German side: 89% Federal State of Saxony; 11% own capital (entrance fees, events, rent/lease etc.)

. Polish side: Sponsorship of the National Heritage Board of

Poland

 Staff:

. German side: 50 staff (50% Park maintenance, 50% administration)

. Polish side: 12 staff (in branch office)

 Applicant UNESCO World Heritage Site: Polish side

 Surface: 830 ha, of which 260 ha are located on German side

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Marketing goals

In accordance with the statute of the Fürst Pückler Park Bad Muskau Foundation, the goals are as follows:

 Reconstruction of the park in the tradition of
Pückler; Knowledge transfer of cultural heritage

 Cooperation between Germany and Poland in

restorating the World Heritage listed park. International joint-administration is aspired.

 Sustainable utilization of the facilities, especially

for touristic purposes in one of Saxony‘s weakest

regions in terms of infrastructure

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Potential visitor arrivals

Potential visitors are

People from within the catchment area
Overnight guests within the catchment area

= Primary market

= Secondary market

Calculated potential visitors in 2007 for the Muskau Park:

Muskauer
Park

Primary market:

approx. 140.000

Secondary market:

approx. 95.000

__________

Visitors per year

approx. 235.000

15

Meaning of the World Heritage title for a visit

Is the title ‚World Heritage / UNESCO World Heritage‘ a (possible)

criteria in your choice of visiting a garden/park?

Majority of visitors

1%
3%

are from the area.

Yes, UNESCO World Heritage is a criteria

Visitors from outside the area come to the

region of Bad

Muskau primarily for the park. (against the

nationwide trend in

42%

No, UNESCO World Heritage is not a criteria

54%

I am not familiar with the title

No answer

garden tourism).

42% of the German population consider the title ‚World Heritage‘ as a criteria for the consideration of a park visit.

16

Development of visitor arrivals

Restoration of Castle finished

350000

Opening Castle/Permanent

UNESCO

World Heritage certificate exhibition

Flood

300000 250000 200000 150000 100000
50000
0

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

There are no fees involved in a park visit. Entrance fees only apply to exhibitions, guided tours, events and restoration; 2012: 60,000 paying visitors.

17

Trilingual Homepage bi/-trilingual

information material

www.muskauer-park.de

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Sustainable tourism and quality

Muskauer Park Musżakowski

Transnational park, German-Polish character: The

UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Economic viability: Valorisation of the natural and

cultural heritage for the purpose of tourism

 Local prosperity: 260% growth in visitor arrivals